Volunteering for CHADD

CHADD’s dedicated volunteers play an integral part in the organization’s success by providing support, education and encouragement to parents, educators and professionals through CHADD support groups and Parent to Parent Training on ADHD. On a national level, volunteers work on various committees and the national board or directors and professional advisory board.

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES

IS THERE A CHADD AFFILIATE IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

Volunteer with an active CHADD Affiliate

Please search our Chapter directory and contact the local CHADD volunteer expressing your interest in volunteering for your local CHADD.

Start a Group

Missing out on educational programming because there is not a CHADD Affiliate in your area? View the presentation below and see if starting a local CHADD Affiliate is right for you.

Starting an ADHD Support Group

Children and adults with ADHD National Office

Introduction

Welcome to CHADD and the hundreds of volunteers leading our many ADHD support groups around the country.

This orientation will provide you with the basic information to get started.

And help you decide if you would like to start a support group in your community.

CHADD support groups offer a valuable service, not only by providing resources and support, but also for socializing and information sharing.

Sharing with other families and adults managing ADHD every day is empowering for all participants

You can make this happen.

Topics in this Orientation

What is a CHADD Affiliate Support Group (CHADD Affiliate)?

What is your role as a new volunteer starting an ADHD support group?

How do you recruit others to help you?

Where can you find a place to meet?

How do you publicize the new ADHD support group?

How do you facilitate a support group meeting?

How you can become a CHADD coordinator and does it entail?

Answers to our most frequently asked questions.

Policies for you to review and forms you will need to return to CHADD to get started.

About CHADD

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), is a national non-profit, tax-exempt, Section 501 (c) (3) organization providing education, advocacy, and support for individuals with ADHD.

The organization has a small national staff, which manages the day-to-day repsonisibilities, while its volunteer Board of Directors sets policy and oversees the organization's well being.

CHADD and its Volunteer-Managed Affiliates

CHADD has 4 kinds of local groups:

CHADD chapters

CHADD satellites

CHADD branches

CHADD associated support groups

What is an Associated Support Group (CHADD Associates)

This is the designation for our brand new groups who have not yet met all the requirements to become an official CHADD group. This is where you will start.

You will be bringing together a group of individuals who are interested in having a CHADD Satellite established in their community.

You will be provided with goals that are necessary to accomplish in order to become an official CHADD group and receive dues from CHADD.

What is your role as a new volunteer?

All our new volunteers are individuals who are committed to the idea of having a CHADD group available in their community.

As a new volunteer you may either become a coordinator of a CHADD group or recruit others to act as coordinators.

As first steps you will:

Complete and submit the necessary forms to work with CHADD

Recruit others to help you

Get the word out in your community

Host your first ADHD support group

Once your support group is operating, CHADD will help you to complete the steps to become an official, dues sharing CHADD satellite.

Getting Your Group Started -Volunteers, Location, What Type, Publicity and More

Finding Volunteers

Find 2 coordinators:

Identify 2 people that share your interest.

Friends, professionals in the ADHD industry, other leaders in the community

What should I name the group?

As you begin we suggest you use the name of your community with ADHD Support Group: “Columbia ADHD Support Group”

Once you have become official, you can add CHADD to the name.

Do I receive any financial support from CHADD?

No, not yet. To receive a portion of dues, you must complete the steps to become official. These steps will ensure compliance with IRS regulations. Bu first we want to help you get your support group started.

As a CHADD Satellite, you will receive a portion of all dues paid to CHADD from your geographic area. The more members you have, the more income you will receive.

How Will CHADD Help?

CHADD has many resources available for you on our website. Be sure to become familiar with these resources.

CHADD national staff will help you to get started by sending out your first request for volunteer assistance to people listed in CHADD’s database in your area.

CHADD national will also send your first monthly email to those in the community announcing support group meeting information.

Information posted on CHADD’s resources website will help (updated often). If you have a suggestion on other ways we may be able to help, please let us know.

Why do we require this first step before becoming an official CHADD satellite?

We want to slowly guide you through the development of a support group in your community. Often times people go through the process too quickly and have not built the foundation for success.

We want you to be able to determine the interest and commitment from your community and volunteers before proceeding to the next step.

We want to protect you / and other volunteers from becoming overwhelmed with the process and we want to see the ADHD support group succeed.

Second Thoughts?

If being the coordinator of a support group is not for you, you can still get a support group started by helping us spread the word.

Talk with others about CHADD and how they may request information on the process of starting a support group locally.

Offer to help even if you cannot take the lead.

Policies and Forms - More information about CHADD policies and forms that should be completed

Conflict of Interest

CHADD does not endorse any provider, medication, treatment, publication or other ADHD related service. As a volunteer you must adhere to this policy.

Support Group Sign In Sheet

A CHADD-provided attendance / sign-in sheet will be used at every meeting. The volunteer who will be coordinating the group, will send the sign-in sheets on a monthly basis in order to meet their satellite start-up goals.

All volunteers maintain the confidentiality of all group participants.

Next Steps - Thank you so much for your interest!

Next Steps

Once you have completed all of your associated support group goals, please contact CHADD and let us know that you are ready to be a CHADD Satellite!

You Make the Difference!

CHADD’s volunteers make all the difference to millions of people with ADHD or with ADHD in the family.

We welcome you to this incredible community of people.

And we thank you for your passion and commitment to helping others understand ADHD.